St Petersburg University scholars compile an explanatory dictionary of the state language of the Russian Federation

All of these dictionaries are in the public domain. To enhance their availability, the state information system ‘National Dictionary Foundation’ is planned to be launched in 2027.

‘The Russian language is the cornerstone of our statehood. Today, we have approved essential normative dictionaries: the orthoepic dictionary, the spelling dictionary, the dictionary of foreign words, and the explanatory dictionary. These publications consolidate the norms of the Russian language, which are crucial for the education system, legal practice, and the media. I would like to express my gratitude to the authors of these dictionaries for their tremendous efforts. We conducted a number of discussions with the Government Commission on the Russian Language to reach a consensus, and we successfully achieved a unanimous decision,’ stated Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, during the presentation.

Scholars from St Petersburg University have been researching the concept of the state language for many years. Notably, the University addresses this topic systematically, employing an interdisciplinary approach. The state language is a legal designation granted to a specific language to ensure national unity and establish a unified public communicative and cultural space.

The list of the normative dictionaries approved by the Government of the Russian Federation includes:

• The Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language as a State Language of the Russian Federation (compiled at the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
• The Orthoepic Dictionary of the Russian Language as a State Language of the Russian Federation (compiled at the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
• The Dictionary of Foreign Words, included in the Russian Language (compiled at the Institute for Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
• The Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language as a State Language of the Russian Federation (compiled at St Petersburg University)

In accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russian is designated as the official language across the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The concept of a state language falls under legal, rather than linguistic, categories. The state language serves to create a unified communicative space by using the literary, or ‘standard’, form of the language — a category defined in linguistics. This form of the national language ensures effective communication among individuals from diverse linguistic communities.

According to Professor Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, such an effect is achievable only with the establishment of formalised rules that are mandatory across all normatively defined spheres, collectively forming the public space of communication. The specific features of the use of the state language are outlined in Federal Law No 53-FZ ‘On the State Language of the Russian Federation’ dated 1 June 2005. Amendments adopted in 2023 significantly updated this law by defining the mechanism for its implementation.

The initial step in addressing this issue was taken by Andrei Fursenko, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation and a graduate of St Petersburg University, during his tenure as Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation from 2004 to 2012. This led to the creation of the first versions of dictionaries of the state language in the country. However, for various reasons, these dictionaries never became the normative standards defining the conditions for the use of the language as the state language. On 1 March 2020, President Vladimir Putin issued an instruction to amend the existing law, which was formalised with the adoption of the relevant document on 28 February 2023. This federal law enabled the commencement of large-scale work on the creation of normative dictionaries under the supervision of Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation.

The explanatory dictionary of the state language of the Russian Federation, compiled by experts from St Petersburg University, clearly defines for the first time in which spheres certain words and their meanings can be used, and where their use is prohibited.

For the first time, prescriptive, or regulatory, norms were clearly defined, establishing the rules for language use. For example, the explanatory dictionary of the state language of the Russian Federation, compiled by experts from St Petersburg University, includes a list of 14 root morphemes; words derived from these roots are classified as profanity. This classification makes perfectly clear which words are considered profane, allowing this information to be applied in law enforcement practice.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University

Sergei Belov, Dean of the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University and Head of the Research Institute for the State Language, highlighted that the explanatory dictionary of the state language is currently one of the most widely used dictionaries. In compiling the dictionary, scholars from St Petersburg University adhered to best practices, aligning with the provisions of Executive Order No 809 of the President of the Russian Federation ‘On approving fundamentals of state policy for preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values’ dated 9 November 2022.

‘Compiling such a comprehensive dictionary involved not only lawyers, philologists, and linguists from St Petersburg University. It required the collaborative efforts of over 50 experts. These experts ensured the accuracy and correctness of word descriptions within their specific fields. Currently, the first part of the dictionary is complete, encompassing terms used in official, business, and legal contexts. The dictionary compiled by St Petersburg University experts will facilitate the implementation of the Law on the State Language and address the key tasks we face today,’ stated Sergei Belov.

The press conference was also attended by: Professor Dmitrii Savinov, Leading Research Associate at the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Maria Kalenchuk, Chief Research Associate at the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Marina Priemysheva, Deputy Director for research at the Institute for Linguistic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; and Konstantin Derevyanko, Chairman of the Scientific and Educational Union for the development of language and information culture ‘Rodnoe Slovo’.

If there are contradictions between the dictionaries included in the list approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, the dictionary that defines a specific type of language norm takes precedence. The explanatory dictionary outlines restrictions on the use of certain words or their meanings, thus having priority in this regard. Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, also highlighted that the team compiling the explanatory dictionary holds no copyright on the publication. This allows for regular updates and improvements to the dictionary in future, based on recommendations from specialists and public feedback, ensuring its continued relevance. At the conclusion of the presentation, Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, announced that the St Petersburg Language Forum is scheduled to take place in 2026.